Locking bracket and cupholder for seat frame

ABSTRACT

A bracket is used for mounting onto the standard of a stadium or theater seat. The bracket can be bolted in place at the same time as seat backs are bolted onto the seat standard. The bracket has latches that permit a drink cupholder to be installed by sliding the cupholder along mating guides in one direction. The latches engage complementary latch portions on the drink cupholder to prevent removal of the drink cupholder. The drink cupholder has a wall that mates to the bracket, and includes skirt walls that cover the bolts used for attaching the bracket and the seat backs to the seat standard.

More than one reissue application has been filed for original U.S. Pat.No. 6,641,101 for which reissue is sought. This application is acontinuation of Reissue application Ser. No. 10/985,831 filed Nov. 10,2004, now U.S. Reissue Pat. No. RE 39,392.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a drink cupholder on the seat standardor frame of stadium seats, which includes a separate mounting bracketthat can be preinstalled on the standard, before the seat backs are putinto place and using bolt holes that are also used for mounting the seatbacks in place. The mounting bracket can be installed, and later theseat backs can be installed. A separate drink cupholder is fitted intothe place on the mounting bracket as a final step and locks in positioncovering the bolts used for mounting the mounting bracket and sent backto prevent tampering.

In the prior art, drink container holders or drink cupholders have beenadvanced, and have become very popular in stadium seating for theaters,sports arenas and the like. The cupholders generally are mounted at therear of the seat backs, so that they are accessible and useable forpersons seated in the row behind the row of seats on which thecupholders are mounted. Also, separable mounting brackets and drinkcupholders have been shown in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No.5,813,644, illustrates such a cupholder. Improvements in the ease ofmounting, and the procedures for enabling one to install a mountingbracket at the time the seat standards are installed into the arena, andthen later adding the drink cupholders, while insuring that the drinkcupholders are secured in place is important. Tampering with drinkcupholders can be a problem, and the cupholder of the present inventioncovers the bolts that attach the mounting bracket to the seat standardwhen the drink cupholder is snapped into place. This construction willdiscourage, and essentially eliminate, removal of the brackets and thedrink cupholder.

The bracket and the drink cupholder can be molded out of suitableplastic materials, and provide an attractive, easily installed, andrelatively tamper proof assembly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a mounting bracket and a drinkcupholder that are separately made, and which are installed on thestandards or frames for mounting the bracket stadium seats. The mountingbracket is adapted to snap into place on the arm support between a pairof seats, the mounting bracket extends to the rear of such standard.Molded or formed seat standards can have various curved shapes, and thepresent mounting bracket can easily be adapted to such curves forfitting into place, particularly along flanges at the rear of the seatstandard. The seat backs are installed on provided supports at the rearof the standard with suitable bolts. The same bolts are used forsecuring the mounting bracket in place, so the mounting brackets can bemounted and secured at the time the seat backs are installed.

The drink cupholder that attaches to the mounting bracket can beinstalled at a later time by sliding it onto a provided guide wall so itsnaps and latches in place. The drink cupholder is then non-removablyattached without utilizing special tools. Attaching the mounting bracketto the standard at the time of installing the seat backs, makes theinstallation process easier.

Since the drink cupholder can be installed at a later time, it is madeto shield the mounting bolts that are used for attaching the mountingbracket on the seat standard. Once the drink cup or drink cupholder hasbeen snapped into place, the mounting bolts are not accessible from therear but the drink cupholder is accessible to a person sitting in a seatrow behind the row of seats on which the drink cupholder is installed.

Different versions of drink cupholders can be installed on the samemounting bracket, depending on the use that is desired. Each drinkcupholder has a guide or slide that has recesses that mate with the lugson the mounting bracket.

The mounting bracket is easily molded, and the drink cupholders also aremolded so that they can be made rugged, in suitable colors, and withpleasing shapes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the typical seat standard having a drinkcupholder mounting bracket and drink cupholder installed thereon, withthe seat backs removed;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the standard of FIG. 1fragmentarily showing a seat back in dotted lines in position forillustrative purposes;

FIG. 3 is a rear end view of a mounting bracket;

FIG. 4 is a view of the end of the mounting bracket opposite from FIG.3, that would be installed on the seat standard;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view showing the drink cupholder latchedinto place on a mounting bracket;

FIG. 6 is a back side view of the drink cupholder showing thereceptacles that latch onto lugs on the mounting bracket;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentarily enlarged sectional view of the mating partsfor mounting the drink cupholder on the mounting bracket taken on line7—7 in FIG. 5; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective front view of a modified view of the drinkcupholder shown installed on a bracket.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in particular, a stadium seat standardindicated generally at 10 is for mounting seats in a conventional mannerin a stadium seating arrangement. The seats are not shown in detail, inthat they can be of any suitable design. The standard 10 includes a base12 that mounts onto a suitable support, such as a poured concrete floorof a stadium, and has frame uprights 14 at the front edge that curveupwardly to a top flange 16. The rear side of the standard has a rearupright 18, with a mounting flange 20 that is used for mounting a seatback 22, as shown schematically in FIG. 2. The seat back 22 has suitablebrackets 28 that fit against the inner surface of the flange 20 inalignment with slots 24 on the mounting flange.

The flange 20 extends on opposite sides of a center panel 26, and thereis a slot 24 on each of the extending side portions of the flange 20.The flange 20 and panel 26 can be curved at the rear side, as desired,and the brackets 28 used for mounting the seat backs fit this curvature.

The top flange 16, extends on opposite sides of the center panel 26, asshown, and various openings 30, can be provided. The side portions 16Aand 16B of the top flange are used for supporting a mounting bracket 32for a drink cupholder 34 in a drink cupholder assembly 36.

The mounting bracket 32 is shown in greater detail in FIGS. 3 and 4, andincludes a horizontal top wall 38 that rests above the flange 16, andhas snap on resilient latch fingers 40A and 40B on the two sides of thetop wall 38, respectively, that fit over edges of the side flanges 16Aand 16B of the top flange 16 on the seat standard.

The top wall 38 joins a support head 42 that is positioned at the rearside of the mounting bracket 32. The support head 42 in turn is joinedto a support wall 44 that is molded in two wall sections, 44A and 44B,to conform to the upper portions of the flange 20 at the rear side ofthe standard 10. The wall 44 is provided with bolt openings or slots 46in the lower support wall section 44B that is resting on a portion ofthe flange 20 carrying the slots 24 for the bolts 50 which are used formounting the seat backs 22, and which also are used for attaching themounting bracket 32 in position.

The support head 42 supports a generally planar upright track or wall 56that is joined to the support head 40 42 with a block or web 54. Thewall 56 has two latch lugs 58A and 58B formed thereon. The lugs 58A and58B taper outwardly in downward direction and form downwardly facingshoulder surfaces 60A and 60B, respectively. The planar wall 56 mateswith latch slide guides 62 at the back of the drink cupholder 34.

The back of the drink cupholder 34 has a pair of spaced side walls 61Aand 61B that have upper portions 65A and 65B extending laterally fromthe wall 63 forming the cup receiving cylinder a greater distance thanthe lower portions of the wall (see FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 in particular). Theupper portions 65A and 65B have inwardly turned flanges 64A and 64B thatfit over the side edges of the upright track or wall 56. When thecupholder 34 is to be installed on the mounting bracket 32, thecupholder 34 is raised above the wall 56 as shown in dotted lines inFIG. 5, so that the flanges 64A and 64B are to the front side of theedges of the wall 56, and then the cupholder 34 is slid downwardly andguided along wall 56.

The wall 33 of the cupholder 34 also has a pair of latch walls 66A and66B between the side walls 61A and 61B. The latch walls 66A and 66B havelatch recesses 67A and 67B which have upwardly facing shoulder surfacesthat lock under shoulders 60A and 60B of the lugs 58A and 58B forlocking the cupholder 34 in place. The latch walls 66A and 66B haveedges that will slide along the tapered surfaces of the lugs 58A and 58Brespectively, when the cupholder is moved downwardly in the directionindicated by the arrows 74. The lower ends of latch walls 66A and 66Bare tapered as shown at 70 in FIG. 5 to aid in assembly as the cupholderis slid into place. The flanges 64A and 64B will flex so that the latchwalls will ramp or slip over the lugs 58A and 58B on wall 56 upon theapplication of a reasonable amount of force in the direction of arrow74. The lugs 58A and 58B will snap into the latch recesses and thecupholder 34 is locked on the mounting bracket. The latch is a one-waylatch. The lower end of wall 44B has a center stop lug 75 that willprevent the cupholder 34 from being slid too far downwardly.

The cupholder 34 has side skirts 76 that are spaced apart enough andhave vertical length sufficient go over the ends of wall 44 and to coverthe bolts 50 on both sides of the bracket 32. The side skirts 76 shieldthe bolts 50 from removal at the rear of the standard 10 unless thecupholder is forced off. Generally, the removal of the cupholder 34 willcause destruction of the mounting bracket or the cupholder, unless aspecial tool is used for resiliently bending the walls 56 and 62 topermit the lugs 58A and 58B to be released from recesses 67A and 67B.

The cupholder 34, as shown, can be in different forms. As shown in FIG.1, the cupholder has a cup or container receptacle 80 formed bycylindrical wall 63 and also side pockets or receptacles 82 for holdingvarious items such as a small program, or other written materials, andcan have a receptacle 84 for a pen or pencil.

In FIG. 8, a modified version of the cupholder is shown at 90, installedon a mounting bracket 32. The cupholder 90 has side flanges or walls 92that extend laterally from the main body 93 of the attachment block. Theflanges 92 support rearwardly extending skirts 94 that cover the ends ofthe flange 20 on the standard, and the ends of the wall 44 of themounting bracket 32, to completely shield the bolts 50, and the mountingslots or openings. The cupholder or drink container holder 90 has areceptacle 96 that receives a cup. A top wall 98 is also provided. Themounting block 93 has guides, as shown in FIG. 7. The mounting blockalso includes latch receptacles to receive the lugs 58A and 58B.

The mounting bracket 32 can be used for various styles of cupholders, asshown. This makes the final design of the cupholder adaptable to theparticular installation that is desired. The cupholders do not have tobe installed until the end of construction of the stadium. The mountingbrackets themselves can be mounted at the time the standards are put inor when the seat backs are put into place.

Although the present invention has been described with reference topreferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize thatchanges may be made in form and detail without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention.

1. A mounting bracket for supporting a drink cupholder to fit onto aseat standard, said seat standard having an upper armrest wall and arear facing wall, a the bracket for supporting said drink cupholderhaving a mounting wall supportable on the upper armrest wall of thestandard, and the bracket having a support wall extending on the a rearside of the standard, said support wall having openings for receivingbolts used for connection with the standard, a guide wall for slidablyreceiving said drink cupholder when the drink cupholder is moved in afirst direction to a first portion of the guide wall having at least onelatch lug that mates with the drink cupholder to prevent removal of thedrink cupholder in a second direction opposite from the first direction.2. The bracket of claim 1, wherein said at least one latch lug hastapered ramp surfaces sloping outwardly from the support wall in thefirst direction, and the at least one latch lug forming a shouldergenerally perpendicular to the support wall facing in the firstdirection.
 3. The bracket of claim 1, wherein said support wall has acentral plane extending along a central plane of the seat standard, andsaid support wall has laterally extending portions extending laterallyof the central plane of the seat standard, the support wall having saidopenings for bolts on the laterally extending portions of the supportwall.
 4. The bracket of claim 1, wherein said standard upper armrestwall has lateral flanges on the sides thereof, and flexible retainerclips on the mounting bracket for snapping onto the lateral flanges andretaining the mounting wall of the bracket on the upper armrest wall ofthe standard.
 5. The bracket of claim 1, in combination with a drinkcupholder having a receptacle for holding a drink cup, the drinkcupholder having a holder wall mating with the support wall of thebracket, and a complementary surface on the mating wall for engaging thelatch lug on the support wall.
 6. The combination of claim 5, whereinsaid drink cupholder wall extends laterally to overlie the support wall.7. The combination of claim 5, wherein said holder wall of said drinkcupholder conforms in a complementary shape to at least one portion ofthe support wall of the bracket.
 8. The bracket of claim 1, wherein thesupport wall has a lower part comprising a first wall section extendingdownwardly and rearwardly and a second wall section extending downwardlyand forwardly from the first wall section.
 9. The bracket of claim 8,wherein the mounting bracket has an upright track wall with lateraledges defining a track, the first and second support wall sections beingwider laterally than the track wall, the latch lugs being on the trackwall.
 10. The bracket of claim 9, wherein the drink cupholder is used incombination with the bracket, the drink cupholder having attachmentwalls mating with the track wall, said drink cupholder wall havingguides along opposite sides thereof for engaging the track defined bythe lateral edges of the track wall, and a recess on the drink cupholderwhich aligns with and receives the latch lug on the track wall of themounting bracket when the drink cupholder is moved to receive the track.11. A mounting bracket for a drink cupholder to fit onto a seatstandard, the seat standard having an upper armrest wall and a rear wallon a rear side of the standard, the mounting bracket including amounting wall supportable on the upper armrest wall of the standard, andon the rear wall on the rear side of the standard, at least one wedgelug on the rear wall, said rear wall having a portion that is defined bygenerally vertical side edges, in combination with a cupholder having acupholder wall with guides engaging the vertical side edges of the rearwall to retain the cupholder on the rear wall, and the cupholder wallhaving a surface formed to face and mate with the lug on the rear wallas the cupholder is slid along the rear wall vertical side edges toprevent removal of the cupholder.
 12. The mounting bracket of claim 11,wherein there is a stop lug on the rear wall to prevent the cupholderfrom moving more than a selected amount when the cupholder is slid alongthe rear wall vertical side edges.
 13. The mounting bracket of claim 11,wherein the bracket has a support wall with laterally extending portionsat a lower end of the support wall that extend outwardly from the rearwall, said laterally extending portions having openings for receivingfasteners for securing the mounting bracket to the seat standard. 14.The mounting bracket of claim 13, wherein said cupholder has skirtportions that extend laterally outwardly beyond the support walllaterally extending portions to shield the fasteners.
 15. A moldedcupholder having a cupholder wall and a mounting portion, said mountingportion including a planar base wall having at least one wedge shapedlatch having an inclined planar surface protruding outwardly from aplane surface of the planar base wall, and an outer end of the inclinedplanar surface forming a latch surface extending substantiallyperpendicularly from and joining the planar base surface, the wedgeshaped latch positioned to engage a mating wedge shaped latch on abracket on a seat standard, the cupholder mounting portion including apair of spaced side shield walls that are on opposite sides of the basewall and extend outwardly from the plane surface, the spaced shieldwalls having inturned flanges at outer end thereof for slidablyreceiving edges of a support wall on the bracket on the seat standard,the latch surface of the wedge shaped latch on the base wall and asimilar latch surface on a mating wedge shaped latch engaging as theside shield walls are slid along the support wall, and the side shieldwalls, the support wall and base wall enclosing the wedge shaped latchon the base wall and the mating wedge shaped latch.
 16. A cupholderassembly comprising: a mounting bracket mountable relative to a seat,standard; a cupholder portion having a holder receptacle and thecupholder portion slidable along a generally upright mounting surface ofthe mounting bracket; and a latching mechanism comprising at least onewedged shaped latch lug having an inclined planar surface protrudingoutwardly from the upright mounting surface in a downward direction to atapered edge to form a latch surface extending from the tapered edgegenerally traverse to the upright mounting surface and the cupholderportion being slidable along the upright mounting surface in thedownward direction to snap the at least wedged shaped latch lug into alatch recess so that the latch surface of the at least one wedged shapedlatch lug abuts a latch surface of the cupholder portion.
 17. Thecupholder assembly of claim 16 wherein the latch mechanism comprises aplurality of wedge shaped latch lugs forming a plurality of inclinedplanar surfaces protruding outwardly from the upright mounting surfacein a downward direction to tapered edges to form a plurality of latchsurfaces extending from the tapered edges generally traverse to theupright mounting surface and the plurality of wedged shaped latch lugsconfigured to snap into a plurality of latch recesses so that theplurality of latch surfaces of the plurality of wedged shaped latch lugsabut a plurality of latch surfaces of the cupholder portion.
 18. Thecupholder assembly of claim 16 and comprising guide walls on thecupholder portion spaced to slide along edge surfaces of an uprightmounting portion of the mounting bracket.
 19. The cupholder assembly ofclaim 18 wherein the guide walls includes inwardly turned end portions.20. The cupholder assembly of claim 16 wherein the mounting bracketincludes a plurality of spaced fastener openings to attach the mountingbracket to the seat standard.
 21. The cupholder assembly of claim 18wherein the mounting bracket includes at least one fastener opening. 22.A cupholder assembly comprising: a mounting bracket mountable relativeto a seat standard; a cupholder portion having a holder receptacle; anda latch assembly comprising at least one latch lug having a latchsurface generally traverse to an upright mounting surface of themounting bracket and the cupholder portion being slidable in a firstdirection to latch the cupholder portion to the mounting bracket and ina latched position, the latch surface of the at least one latch lug isadjacent to an opposing surface of the latch assembly so that the latchsurface of the at least one latch lug contacts the opposing surface whenthe cupholder portion is moved in a second direction opposite to thefirst direction.
 23. The cupholder assembly of claim 22 wherein thelatch assembly comprises a plurality of latch lugs forming a pluralityof latch surfaces generally traverse to the upright mounting surface andin the latched position, the plurality of latch surfaces of theplurality of latch lugs are adjacent to a plurality of opposing surfacesso the plurality of latch surfaces contact the plurality of opposingsurfaces when the cupholder portion is moved in the second direction.24. The cupholder assembly of claim 22 and comprising guide walls on thecupholder portion spaced to slide along edge surfaces of an uprightmounting portion of the mounting bracket.
 25. The cupholder assembly ofclaim 24 wherein the guide walls includes inwardly turned end portions.26. The cupholder assembly of claim 22 wherein the mounting bracketincludes at least one fastener opening.
 27. The cupholder assembly ofclaim 22 wherein the mounting bracket includes a plurality of spacedfastener openings to attach the mounting bracket to the seat standard.28. The cupholder assembly of claim 22 wherein the at least one latchlug is wedged shaped.
 29. A cupholder assembly comprising: a mountingbracket mountable relative to the seat assembly; a cupholder portionhaving a cupholder receptacle; and a latch assembly configured to latchthe cupholder portion to the mounting bracket comprising a first latchportion including a wedged shaped latch forming a latch surface and thecupholder portion being slideable along a guiding surface of themounting bracket in a first direction generally traverse to anorientation of the latch surface to engage the latch assembly so thatthe latch surface of the first latch portion contacts an opposing latchsurface of a second latch portion when the cupholder is moved in asecond direction opposite to the first direction.
 30. The cupholder ofclaim 29 wherein the wedged shaped latch is generally enclosed betweenthe mounting bracket and the cupholder portion when the latch assemblyis engaged.
 31. The cupholder assembly of claim 29 wherein the mountingbracket is mounted to the seat assembly via a fastener insertable intoat least one fastener opening in the mounting bracket.
 32. The cupholderassembly of claim 29 in combination with the seat assembly comprising aseat standard and seat back and wherein the mounting bracket is fastenedto the seat standard.
 33. The cupholder assembly of claim 29 wherein thelatch assembly includes inturned flange portions slideable along sideedges of a track or rail to engage the latch assembly.
 34. The cupholderassembly of claim 29 wherein the latch assembly is a one-way latch andis releasable using a separate device or tool.